Combined Pumping / Gas Source Unit Configured For Use in a Tubular Transportation System

Abstract

Disclosed is a combined pumping/gas source unit configured for use in a tubular transportation system for transporting one or more passengers or one or more cargos via a capsule along a predetermined route, where the tubular transportation system comprises a plurality of substantially evacuated tubes arranged along the predetermined route, each tube in the plurality of substantially evacuated tubes maintained at a pressure that is below atmospheric pressure.

1 . A combined pumping/gas source unit configured for use in a tubular transportation system for transporting one or more passengers or one or more cargos via a capsule along a predetermined route, the tubular transportation system comprising a plurality of substantially evacuated tubes arranged along the predetermined route, each tube in the plurality of substantially evacuated tubes maintained at a pressure that is below atmospheric pressure, the combined pumping/gas source unit comprising:
 (a) a helium reservoir;   (b) a helium gas injection valve coupled to the helium reservoir wherein, when the helium gas injection valve is open, the helium reservoir configured to provide helium to be introduced into a given tube;   (c) a pumping unit;   (d) a pump isolation valve coupled to the pumping unit wherein, wherein the pump isolation valve is configured to in any of the following conditions: open, partially open, or closed, wherein the pumping unit is configured to maintain the pressure in the tube below atmospheric pressure by evacuating gases in the given tube;   (e) a pump system helium controller wherein, when a helium level in the given tube is not at a desired level as indicated by an Operations Control Center (OCC), the pump system helium controller, based on inputs from one or more multiple sensors and the desired level indicated by the OCC, directs one of the following:
 (1) closing the pump isolation valve and opening one or more helium flow valves to inject the desired level of helium from the helium reservoir into a pump system piping to the given tube, or 
 (2) instructing the pump isolation valve to remain open or partially open and instructing the one or more helium flow valves to inject the desired amount of helium from the helium reservoir into one or more tube remote gas injectors, or 
 (3) enabling convection flows between the combined pumping/gas source unit and another, adjacent, combined pumping/gas source unit wherein such a convection flow is enabled based on other, adjacent, combined pumping/gas source units that satisfy conditions (e)(1) or (e)(2); 
   wherein helium is introduced into the given tube in order to maintain a percentage, x, of helium in the tube, wherein the first percentage, x, of helium is picked based on a predetermined power value and a leak rate associated with each tube.   
     
     
         2 . The combined pumping/gas source unit of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined power value is any of the following: affordable power, minimum power, or acceptable power. 
     
     
         3 . The combined pumping/gas source unit of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined power value is a function of a first power to pump each tube to the substantially evacuated state and a second power to overcome aerodynamic drag. 
     
     
         4 . The combined pumping/gas source unit of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure is picked from the following range: 1 Pa to 100 Pa. 
     
     
         5 . The combined pumping/gas source unit of  claim 1 , wherein 50%≤x≤99%. 
     
     
         6 . The combined pumping/gas source unit of  claim 1 , wherein the combined pumping/gas source unit further comprises a recirculation mechanism for capturing the gaseous composition in each tube and recirculating some of those gases back into the same tube. 
     
     
         7 . The combined pumping/gas source unit of  claim 6 , wherein the recirculation mechanism further comprises at least a separation unit, concentrating the gases prior to recirculating them back into the tube. 
     
     
         8 . The combined pumping/gas source unit of  claim 7 , wherein the separation unit is a membrane-based separation unit. 
     
     
         9 . The combined pumping/gas source unit of  claim 8 , wherein a membrane used in the membrane-based separation unit is an inorganic ultra-thin membrane. 
     
     
         10 . The combined pumping/gas source unit of  claim 9 , wherein the ultra-thin membrane is an ultra-thin MFI membrane. 
     
     
         11 . The combined pumping/gas source unit of  claim 1 , wherein a pump down and backfill mechanism is used such that required gas concentrations is efficiently achieved. 
     
     
         12 . A system comprising:
 (I) combined pumping/gas source unit configured for use in a tubular transportation system for transporting one or more passengers or one or more cargos via a capsule along a predetermined route, the tubular transportation system comprising a plurality of substantially evacuated tubes arranged along the predetermined route, each tube in the plurality of substantially evacuated tubes maintained at a pressure that is below atmospheric pressure, the combined pumping/gas source unit comprising:
 (a) a helium reservoir; 
 (b) a helium gas injection valve coupled to the helium reservoir wherein, when the helium gas injection valve is open, the helium reservoir configured to provide helium to be introduced into a given tube; 
 (c) a pumping unit; 
 (d) a pump isolation valve coupled to the pumping unit wherein, wherein the pump isolation valve is configured to any of the following conditions: open, partially open, or closed, wherein the pumping unit is configured to maintain the pressure in the tube below atmospheric pressure by evacuating gases in the given tube; 
 (e) a pump system helium controller wherein, when a helium level in the given tube is not at a desired level as indicated by an Operations Control Center (OCC), the pump system helium controller, based on inputs from one or more multiple sensors and the desired level indicated by the OCC, directs one of the following:
 (1) closing a pump isolation valve and opening one or more helium flow valves to inject the desired level of helium from the helium reservoir into a pump system piping to the given tube, or 
 (2) instructing the pump isolation valve to remain open or partially open and instructing the one or more helium flow valves to inject the desired amount of helium from the helium reservoir into one or more tube remote gas control valves, or 
 (3) enabling convection flows between the combined pumping/gas source unit and another, adjacent, combined pumping/gas source unit wherein such a convection flow is enabled based on other, adjacent, combined pumping/gas source units that satisfy conditions (I)(e)(1) or (II)(e)(2); 
 
   wherein helium is introduced into the given tube in order to maintain a percentage, x, of helium in the tube, wherein the first percentage, x, of helium is picked based on a predetermined power value and a leak rate associated with each tube; and   (II) a separation system receiving, as input, evacuated gases, wherein the separation system separates helium from the evacuated gases and forwarding separated helium to a valve controlling gas injection amount.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the predetermined power value is any of the following: affordable power, minimum power, or acceptable power. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the predetermined power value is a function of a first power to pump each tube to the substantially evacuated state and a second power to overcome aerodynamic drag. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the pressure is picked from the following range: 1 Pa to 100 Pa. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein 50%≤x≤99%. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein a pump down and backfill mechanism is used such that required gas concentrations is efficiently achieved. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the separation unit is a membrane-based separation unit. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein a membrane used in the membrane-based separation unit is an inorganic ultra-thin membrane. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the ultra-thin membrane is an ultra-thin MFI membrane.